Pavel Kroupa

Tue, 3rd November 2015, 8:00 pm

Dark materials, dark energy?

Putting the standard cosmological model to the test

Geist Heidelberg, Lecture

“The still somewhat mysterious dark mater particles supposedly play a central role in the development of galaxies. The effects of these particles ought to be particularly noticeable in the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. But observations carried out in neighbouring cosmological systems give us reason to doubt even their existence.” (Spektrum der Wissenschaft)

Is it true that astronomical information proves the existence of dark mater particles? And what would be the consequences if available astronomical data indicated that they don’t exist?

With his hypothesis, Kroupa adopts a simple stance in an intense and significant scientific debate. His position also happens to contradict that taken by the majority of his colleagues and also means that Kroupa receives little in the way of funding for his research. Courage, conviction or madness?

Professor Pavel Kroupa, born in Czechoslovakia in 1963, is an astrophysicist and heads a research group at the University of Bonn, researching the dynamics of galaxies.